How many people in Pa. are on food stamps?

How many people in Pa. are on food stamps?

Food stamp usage across the United States is at an all-time high. Here's what the picture looks like in Pennsylvania.

There are nearly 1.8 million people in Pennsylvania on food stamps, according to the USDA.

There are about 12.7 million people living in the state. That means about 14 percent of the state's population receives the benefit.

The number of people on food stamps in Pennsylvania has increased 51 percent since 2008. However, the state number declined slightly from January 2012 to Jan. 2013.

Last year, the food stamp program (called SNAP at the federal level) cost $2.7 billion in Pa.

The total bill for food stamps across the country was $78 billion.

For a single person who is not elderly or disabled, the income limit is about $17,800 a year. That amount represents the gross, pre-tax income.

The maximum amount a single person receiving food stamps would get is $200 a month.

For a family of four, the income limit is about $36,800.

The maximum amount a family of four would get is $668 a month.

While the income limits reflect gross amounts, SNAP households may receive deductions from their gross income for things like housing costs, child or dependent care payments, and medical expenses over $35 for elderly or disabled people.

Just because an applicant falls under the program's income limit, it does not mean the individual automatically qualifies for food stamps.

An applicant's assets can count against them. According to the Pa. Department of Welfare, assets include, but are not limited to: bank accounts, cash on hand, cars and motorcycles.

However, some assets do NOT count against the applicant. The DPW cites the following as assets that do not count: one car, income tax refunds, educational savings accounts, pensions, retirement accounts, life insurance policies and the home you own and live in.

Everyone who qualifies for food stamps in Pennsylvania does not receive them.

It's estimated that about 24 percent of people who do qualify for food stamps, do not take them.

SNAP benefits are placed in an "electronic" account that only the recipient can use. This system is called Electronic Benefits Transfer or EBT.

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